"Oh, oh! I can't remember how long it took me to be here - it seems like since junior high school, right? ”

When the three cars of Chu Xuan, Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi were parked in the parking lot of the mountain camp, the long-haired young man Shigeru Aoba who got out of the car looked at the rows of cement sinks, cooking tables, barbecue tables, and even the marching stove built by the travel company, and couldn't help but feel nostalgic for his student days.

But for the "active" students Kuro Cat, Rei Ayana, and Shinji Ikari, the place has probably become less interesting, and perhaps left them with many unpleasant memories - who made the three of them the kind of people who were so withdrawn in their class that they didn't even have a friend who could voluntarily split into a group with them on a hike.

"Hmm...... I always feel that as soon as I get here, I feel that there is a deep malice coming from all directions. ”

Looking at the campsite that he had just come to a month ago, the black cat smacked his mouth unhappily, then hugged his hands together and rubbed his arms a few times, as if there was really something "unclean" left in this camp.

As for Shinji Ikari, who hadn't transferred to another school when he was hiking, he hadn't had any bad memories of this place, but this kind of campground was built in the same way all over the country, and when he came here, he naturally remembered the scene when he participated in the hiking at school in the past.

Look at the expression on Shinji Ikari's face...... I guess that memory is not much better than the black cat's memory.

Soon, however, Kurita and Shinji Ikari became happy again, because it was not their strangers who came to hike with them today, but their "family" and acquaintances!

"Black cat, come and help move things."

At this time, Chu Xuan and Ayanami Rei, who were expressionless, were already standing in front of the open trunk, beckoning the black cat who was still standing by the door to carry the ingredients that had been processed in advance and various cooking utensils including barbecue grills and iron drills; And on the other side of Ritsuko Akagi's car, Misato Katsuragi also unceremoniously supported Shinji Ikari.

"Shinji, what are you doing here, carrying things!"

Hearing the voice coming from Chu Xuan's side, Misato Katsuragi also pretended to glance over there casually, but after this glance, she suddenly became in a bad mood, and her face turned black at once, which made Shinji Ikari shiver in fright.

"Hey...... Convenient curry...... There are also chips, drinks, beer, ......

Well, I'm mentally prepared for this. ”

Ritsuko Akagi, who was rarely not wearing a white coat, walked around the other side of the car, stretched out her head to look into the convenience bag that Shinji Ikari was carrying, and then shrugged her shoulders half helplessly and half mockingly.

"Trembling! Since it's a hike, of course you should eat curry! ”

Misato Katsuragi, who felt that she had been disgraced in front of Chu Xuan, was still stiff-mouthed, and Ritsuko Akagi patted her shoulder and whispered to her:

"Chu Xuan and I have already prepared your share with Shinji, although you don't need to thank Chu Xuan, but your attitude is at least a little better, right?

And...... Didn't you also say that you wanted Shinji to have a good day, so you can't be like this all the time, right? ”

Ritsuko Akagi walked away after persuading her, she knew that if she kept standing here, her friend with a somewhat stubborn temper would refuse to let go of her face for the sake of face, but as long as the reason was clear, Misato Katsuragi would naturally choose the right thing to do silently.

"Senior sister, let's go and help Colonel Chu Xuan get something.

Senior Colonel Chu Xuan has prepared a lot of ingredients this time, which is simply embarrassing. ”

Next to Ritsuko Akagi's car, Maya Ibuki, who was dressed in a rather youthful atmosphere, happily waved Ritsuko Akagi as she walked back, Ritsuko Akagi's car was not large, and there were four people seated, so there was not much space for ingredients or cooking utensils.

Moreover, Ritsuko Akagi only called people, and did not make any preparations for hiking at all, and made up her mind to eat Chu Xuan and drink Chu Xuan from the beginning.

-- This woman, like Misato Katsuragi, who is still single, is also the type of woman who "does not touch the spring water with ten fingers", but she spends most of her time working in the research laboratory, and her meals are provided by the base canteen, and she goes out to eat at restaurants during holidays, and never goes to convenience stores or supermarkets to buy those convenient and quick hot foods that have been processed.

"Abominable ......"

Misato Katsuragi gritted her teeth, snatched the convenience bag from Shinji Ikari's hand, pretended not to care, and commanded Shinji Ikari who was looking at her a little timidly:

"I'll just take these, you go over there...... Help move things, you'll have to eat at noon. ”

"Huh? But...... You ......"

Shinji Ikari didn't know whether to obediently listen to Misato Katsuragi and go to Chu Xuan to help at this time, or accompany her here, so he could only stand in place at a loss.

Misato Katsuragi looked at him impatiently, motioned for him to hurry over, and said in as natural a voice as possible:

"Anyway, I can't help with cooking or anything, I'll go find Ritsuko, you can go play."

"Oh, oh......"

Since Misato Katsuragi has already said so, Shinji Ikari has to leave even if he doesn't want to, otherwise the woman in front of him will probably be annoyed and angry.

However, Shinji Ikari, who was forced to go to Chu Xuan, was also quite apprehensive, because not only did Misato Katsuragi have a conflict with Chu Xuan, but he and Chu Xuan should also be regarded as having a conflict.

- Although Chu Xuan does not regard this as a contradiction, but as Chu Xuan once said to Misato Katsuragi, the incident of being choked by Chu Xuan's neck and threatening to die if he doesn't drive has always been a pimple in Shinji Ikati's heart, and this pimple has made him avoid direct contact with Chu Xuan intentionally or unintentionally, even if he forgives Chu Xuan's behavior in his heart.

Perhaps, although his surname has forgiven Chu Xuan, he has never forgiven Chu Xuan emotionally, after all, Chu Xuan can ignore his surname for the sake of Ayanami Li's surname...... This kind of intimacy and proximity really made him unable to let go.

"That, that, that...... I, I'll ......"

After walking to Chu Xuan's side quite reluctantly, Shinji Ikari tried to explain his intentions calmly and naturally like a man as he had just thought, but he opened his mouth to find that he was unable to even speak, and what was even more humiliating was that his voice was still trembling quite violently, making him want to immediately hang himself from the tree outside the campsite with his belt.

This is the psychological shadow left by that death threat...... No, that's just an excuse, he's actually just cowardly, he simply doesn't have the courage to try to ease and bring the relationship between the two of them closer after being estranged from Chu Xuan for so long, he is just afraid of being treated or rejected by the other party, and it has nothing to do with death threats or anything.

Shinji Ikaru, who was so red-faced, lowered his head and clenched his fists hard, he didn't know why, he was particularly concerned about his disgrace in front of Chu Xuan, and even felt that it was even unforgivable.

Even if everyone around him laughed at him, despised him, alienated him, and excluded him, it would not make the slightest ripple in Shinji Ikati's heart lake, which had become a pool of stagnant water, but when he faced Chu Xuan, he suddenly found that he wanted to show his handsome side in front of Chu Xuan no matter what, no matter who ridiculed and despised him, he didn't want to be ridiculed and despised by Chu Xuan.

Shinji Ikari didn't understand what kind of mood it was, but he knew that it was because of this mood that his face became hot, his eyes quickly became moist, and some kind of liquid that made him feel very frightened was gathering uncontrollably.

He wanted to raise his head and pluck the indisputable liquid in his eyes, but he didn't have the courage to face Chu Xuan again; He wanted to run away without letting Chu Xuan see his ugliness, but he didn't have the strength to turn around.

Shinji Ikari suddenly felt very regretful at this time, why did he agree to Miss Katsuragi to come on a hike together, if he didn't come to hike, he wouldn't be so embarrassed; Why did he accept his father's call to come to this city, and if he didn't come to this city, he wouldn't be so ashamed......

Why is he so cowardly and incompetent!

If he hadn't been so cowardly and incompetent, he wouldn't have been so embarrassed in front of Chu Xuan! (To be continued.) )